Walt Disney Studios has released 8 Mufasa: The Lion King posters showcasing the prequel's new and returning characters.
"Taka" will, of course, eventually be known as the villainous Scar, but it's Kiros who we expected to be this movie's big bad. We also see fan-favourites like Timon and Pumba, Rafiki, and Zazu.
The final trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King was released at D23 Brazil (you can see it here if you missed it) but we'd imagine Disney plans to pull out all the stops in the coming weeks.
Fans expected Jon Favreau's The Lion King to receive a follow-up of some sort, and this original story taking place long before we met Simba - which comes our way from filmmaker Barry Jenkins - is undeniably intriguing.
The Lion King made over $1.6 billion in 2019 so we'd imagine Disney expects this prequel to also be a hit. Whether the movie can reach the same heights in a post-COVID theatrical landscape is another matter, but we'll be shocked if it doesn't dominate the holidays, even facing stiff competition from The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim and Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Check out these newly released Mufasa: The Lion King character posters below and stay tuned for more as tickets are expected to go on sale later today.
Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka - the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny - their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.
Mufasa: The Lion King stars Aaron Pierre (Mufasa), Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Taka/Scar), Tiffany Boone (Sarabi), Kagiso Lediga (Young Rafiki), Preston Nyman (Zazu), Mads Mikkelsen (Kiros), Thandiwe Newton (Eshe), Lennie James (Obasi), Anika Noni Rose (Afia), Keith David (Masego), John Kani (Rafiki), Seth Rogen (Pumbaa), Billy Eichner (Timon), Donald Glover (Simba), Blue Ivy Carter (Kiara), Braelyn Rankins (Young Mufasa), Theo Somolu (Young Taka), and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (Nala).
Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, Dominique Jennings round out the supporting cast.
Blending live-action filmmaking techniques with photoreal computer-generated imagery, the all-new feature film is produced by Adele Romanski & Mark Ceryak, and executive produced by Peter Tobyansen.
Mufasa: The Lion King opens in theaters worldwide on December 20.